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The Break-In

There's nothing more dangerous than a guilty conscience

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The Break-In

By: Katherine Faulkner
Narrated by: Bea Holland
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Bloomsbury presents The Break-In by Katherine Faulkner, read by Bea Holland.

You know who.
You don't know why.

The play date started well. The children happy in one room while their mothers relaxed and drank wine in another.

But then the stranger appeared at the window. And then he was inside the house. And then he grabbed the knife...

Alice only means to stop him. She doesn't mean to hit him so hard. She didn't mean to kill him.

The police conclude that she acted in self-defence, but wracked with guilt, Alice sets out to apologise to Linda, the mother of the young man she killed - only to find she is unable to come clean about who she really is. But as Alice learns more about Ezra and why he was at her house, she starts to wonder whether she really has the full picture about what happened that day...

This latest simmering suspense novel from the internationally bestselling Katherine Faulkner is a unputdownable must-read that will have you hooked from the first twist to the last. ©2025 Katherine Faulkner (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting
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Critic reviews

Delicious
Fast-moving, clever and appropriately horrible, this is domestic noir at its most intriguing
It's been described as a binge read and it's clear to see why – a fantastic novel
Will have listeners hooked
Katherine Faulkner is the master of throwing ordinary women into extraordinary, what-would-you-do situations. With her razor-sharp takes on middle class motherhood, this is an up-all-night thriller packed with style, acuity and intrigue (Abigail Dean, author of Sunday Times bestselling Girl A)
Twisty and compulsively readable. A binge-worthy page turner. I devoured it in a sitting and I have zero regrets (Nita Prose)
Katherine Faulkner goes from strength to strength with her third novel, The Break In - a truly unnerving tale of violence and deceit. I totally believed in these characters and felt every second of their nightmare. Propulsive and immersive - a definite one-sitting read! (Caz Frear)
With an exquisite, perfectly timed drip-feed of reveals, hiding-in-plain-sight clues, delicious unravelling of secrets, and nail-biting tension, The Break In is an absolute triumph. One of the best books I’ve read this year (Andrea Mara, Sunday Times Number One, Irish Times bestseller)
The Break In opens with a reader's worst nightmare scenario, and continues to twist the knife as the truth is gradually revealed. A tense and clever thriller - highly recommended (Nikki Smith, bestselling author of The Beach Party and All In Her Head)
Katherine Faulkner is the mistress of elevated thrillers, and The Break In is her most sophisticated yet. Taut, elegant and perfectly observed, she will have your nerves jangling and your sense of self shattered. Her depiction of North London middle class motherhood is sharply accurate - a morality tale of the most terrifying order. Fabulous (Lizzy Barber, author of Out Of Her Depth and My Name Is Anna)
A fast-paced, single sitting read with a how-did-I miss that final twist. Faulkner writes motherhood noir that’s a cut above - we’ll be recommending this to every parent in the playground. Loved it! (Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of The Club)
The Break-In has Katherine’s trademark aspirational London living hallmarks, plus a clever twisty plot and evocative writing on motherhood and female friendship. Loved it! (Amanda Reynolds)
I was kept up until the wee hours engrossed in The Break In. A delicious slow burn thriller with a clever twisting plot that will keep readers hooked (Olivia Kiernan)
The Break In is a masterfully twisted psychological thriller. When a self-defense killing sets Alice’s life spiraling, long-buried secrets resurface, and collide with present-day dangers. Faulkner weaves a gripping, character-driven tale brimming with taut tension and shocking twists - her best yet! (Emily Freud)
All stars
Most relevant
Loved the slow build up of the first part. I thought the story was well written with some good twists. A little implausible but then psychological fiction often is, and it adds to the fun. Overall a very satisfying listen

Great build up and great narration

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Brilliant book full of twists and turns. Great narration too! Katherine Faulker does it again and is becoming one of my favourite authors.

Fantastic!

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I really enjoyed this book, loved the main storyline with many twists! I wish there were more books from this author on Audible.

Fantastic story

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I thought this may be too long - but the twists and turns are fabulous.
Along with fabulous narration

Superb

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A plot well built and unraveled. Alice’s total belief in husband was a bit too much to believe but overall was a great tale.

Lots of twists

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